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We've Added Three New Powerhouse Members to our Board
Liesel Pritzker Simmons, investment strategist and principal of Blue Haven Initiative, has just joined the Activate board of directors. She joins Troy Brewster, senior audit manager at Blazek & Vetterling, and Morrow (“Morry”) Cater, founding principal and president of Cater Communications, who joined the board in August 2021.
Why is Geothermal So Hot Right Now?
There’s lots of excitement building around geothermal energy right now. In one week, two companies founded by Activate Fellows announced new investments totaling $150M. What’s behind (er, below?) the upwelling of interest?
Interim CEO Todd Johnson On What’s Next For Activate
We spoke with interim CEO Todd Johnson about his new role, his long history with Activate, and launching the search for a CEO to lead Activate into its next stage of growth.
Ilan Gur's Farewell Letter to Activate Fellows
Today is our founding CEO Ilan Gur's last day at Activate before he takes the helm of the U.K.’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency. Activate Fellows always have been and always will be at the center of Activate, so we’re sharing, with his permission, Ilan’s farewell letter to them.
Miguel Sierra Aznar’s Journey from Lab Rat to Climate Tech CEO
Miguel is passionate about many things, including his family, building community, and making paella. But his drive to become an engineer—and in particular, his interest in combustion and developing zero-emissions engines—propelled him on his academic and then entrepreneurial journey.
From Fellow to Managing Director: Jill Fuss is a New Kind of Activate Success Story
It was inevitable that at some point an Activate Fellow would return to the community as an Activate staff member. But that doesn’t make it any less inspiring.
FLO Materials Creates Infinitely Recyclable Eyewear, Commercializing Findings in Berkeley Lab Research
Promising results from a recent Berkeley Lab study could lead to infinitely recyclable plastic. One of the study’s co-authors, Peter Christensen, began work to commercialize the material in 2021, through FLO Materials, a startup that he co-founded with Kezi Cheng.
Activate CEO Ilan Gur to Become CEO of Top UK Innovation Agency
A special message from Liesl Schindler, Activate’s board chair
Ilan Gur to Become CEO of Top UK Innovation Agency
Ilan Gur to Become CEO of Top UK Innovation Agency
Activate 2020 Fellows on Cultivating and Nurturing Company Culture
As their cohort completes the two-year fellowship, three 2020 fellows reflect on what they’ve learned about building company culture.
Meet Naomi Baer, Activate’s New Chief Operating Officer
We are thrilled to introduce Naomi Baer, Activate’s new chief operating officer, a seasoned operational leader with a track record in scaling non-profits.
Community, Collisions, & Camaraderie: The 2022 Activate Summit
For a few jam-packed hours at the Activate Summit, we reconnected with friends and partners, celebrated the graduating Cohort 2020 fellows, welcomed the incoming 2022 fellows, and marveled at the gorgeous San Francisco Bay from our perch at the Exploratorium.
Transformative Startups Start with Connection, Communication, and Reflection
Program continuum director Sarah Morrill’s mission is to empower Activate Fellows to become effective entrepreneurs. Building empathy, trust, and community is an essential first step.
Meet the 39 New Activate Fellows Who Are on a Mission to Build a Cleaner, Safer Society
Cohort 2022 fellows are pursuing imperatives to permanently remove carbon dioxide, forge carbon-free manufacturing pathways, grow the bioeconomy, advance the efficiency and power of information technology, and sustainably secure minerals essential to the clean energy transition.
Startup to Sale: How Cohort 2015 Fellow Tom McDonald Built and Sustained Mosaic Materials
Baker Hughes has acquired the startup and plans to deploy its carbon dioxide capture technology across the industrial value chain.
Brimstone Raises $55M Series A to Build Pilot Plant, Grow Team
Brimstone has developed a pathway to decarbonize cement, the essential material that contributes 7.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The Pivot to Purpose: The Climate Crisis is Invigorating a Workforce Focused on Climate Tech
As much of the workforce confronts burn-out, re-evaluates career goals, and ponders their long-term impact, many are looking for more purposeful work in climate tech startups. These new entrants, as well as our fellows, all share a sense of urgency. This work can’t wait.
Impact Science Ventures Invests in Cohort Companies, Catalyzes New Investment Partnership Program at Activate
ISV will spur private investment to boost the impact of world-changing science-based startups—including, to date, nine Activate Fellow-led companies. ISV will also serve as the inaugural partner in a new Activate program, to be officially launched this summer, that will bring together early-stage technology investors and Activate cohort companies.
Liminal—formerly Feasible—Raised an $8M Series A to Move Tech to Pilot Stage
In early April, Feasible, the battery manufacturing intelligence company co-founded by Cohort 2016 fellows Andrew Hsieh and Barry Van Tassell, announced an $8 million Series A financing round, as well as its new name: Liminal.